The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-13
ORIGIN OF COTTON FIRES.
CARELESSNESS OR INCENDIARISM
THE ONLY EXPLANATIONS.

Exchange Adopt Resolutions-A Box
of Matches Found in a Bale-The
Possible Causes of the Fires.
The very frequent fires that have occur
red on board vessels loaded or nearly loaded
of late have attracted the attention not only
of the cotton men, but of the community,
and particularly of the insurance under
writers. Mr.. j. N. johnson, agent of the
underwriters requested Capt. Flannery to
call meeting of the directors of the Cotton
Exchange yesterday for the purpose of
taking some action looking toward the pre-
vention of such disasters. In accordance
with the request, Capt. Flannery called the
meeting and after discussing the fires and
their cause the following resolutions were
! adopted:
ACTION OF THE COTTON EXCHANGE.
RESOLVED, That the city authorities be urged
to rigidly enforce the ordinance in reference TO
smoking on shlpboard. on the wharves. or on
streets contiguous TO the wharves and that the
said ordinance be printed in large type and
bulletined on the wharves, also, that the Harbor
! Master be required to furnish each and every
vessel arriving in port with two copies Of said
ordinances in large print, the same to be posted
in some conspicuous place on board of such
vessel.
Savannah, Florida and Western railway and
cotton presses, and also wharf owners be urged
to cooperate with the city authorities in enforc-
ing the ordinance on their respective properties.
That the managers of the railroads presses,
and others interested in the literage of cotton,
be urged to require that all cotton transported
for them on lighters be covered with tarpaulns
and that tug boats towing such lighter be re-
CURED to burn hard coal as fuel for generating
steam.
That the labor organizations of this city be
tssrai lac
smoking by the members in or about the vessels
or on wharves, and also the carrying of matches
about their persons during the time they are en-
gagged in loading and unloading vessels also
that they urge upon their members great care
in removing promptly and carefully all oil waste
used in w1ping the screws employed in slowing
cotton The earnest and hearty cooperation of
all parties engaged in handling cotton is asked
in order that, as far as 1t is possible, the re-
currence of the late numerous fires may be pre-
vented, and thereby avert injury to our port by
causing shipowners and insurance companies TO
discriminate against u.s.
THE BOARD OF TRADE TO MEET.
Mr.. johnson will make similar request
of Capt. Hull, President of the Board of
Trade, in order that the directors of that
body may take some action in the matter
The possible causes of the fires are two,
one incendiarism and the other careessness.
The theory of accident is not given much
credence, though the cause of one or per-
but it is not believed that so many fires oc-
curing in so short time could possibly be
accidental, distinction being made be-
tween accident and carelessneSs. There are
number of ways in which fires might
occur as the result of carelessness on the
part of persons handling the cotton, and of
irresponsible persons who are permitted to
hang around the wharves when they have
no business there.
There is scarcely a wharf in the city upon
which tramps and idle men are not per-
mitted to loaf. Four or five tramps were
in the yard Of Lahar's press where the
Steamship Naples was discharging yester-
day morning. They were lounging about
doing nothing, but the superintendent saw
them, and had the policeman put them out.
There are not many wharves or yards from
which they will be driven, however, even
when they are seen. These tranps may or
may not carry matches, and they may or
may not drop them through the holes in
their ragged clothes into bales of cotton.
THE MATCH THEORY.
Even employees, white and black, are per-
mitted to carry matches, and do carry
them, and the agent of one ship owner, who
was here looking after the vessel, asked a
laborer in the hold for a match, and he took
one from behind his ear. There is constant
danger of dropping matches, particularly
friction caused in screwing in the bales may
at any time ignite them. So thoroughly
are the cotton men imbued with the neces-
sity of taking precautions against such care
leSsness, that certain factors owning ware
houses have given orders that should any
employees be caught carrying matches he
shall be Immediately discharged, no matter
how long he may have been in their SER
vice, or how competent a man he may be.
A most startling and curious case was
discovered night before last A bale of
cotton, among others, was sent from the
lower press to the Merchants and Miners
Transportation Company's wharf, and
box of matches was found under one of the
bands. 1t seemed that there must have
been design in that, for it could scarcely be
that it had been put there careleSsly, as it
would not be an easy matter to put a box
of matches under band ON a bale of cot
ton. The matches were on exhibition in
the Cotton Exchange, and they were viewed
with good deal of interest
SMOKING ON THE SHIPS.
There is another practice that is quite as
dangerous as that of carrying matches
Many of the officers of vessels smoke and
permit their crews to smoke on board the
ships, and that. too, while cotton is loading.
The superintendent of one of the cotton
presses stated that one of the officers of the
three weeks ago, stood to windward of one
of the matches while a stiff breeze was
blowing smoking an open pipe while cotton
was hosting. A spark from a pipe is as
likely as spark from anything else to set
fire to the cotton, and thus cause immense
damage to the whole cargo. A spark will
get into bale and eat its way in as a worm
viii into wood, but instead of making only
one little hole it fires the cotton all along
its track, and before long the whole bale is
burning.
SPARKS FROM PASSING STEAMERS.
One other great danger is from tugs and
locomotives in hauling and Tightening cot
ton. The cotton is placed upon open light
ers, uncovered and unprotected from the
sparks that fly from tho tugs, which burn
soft coal. These sparks cannot be noticed
in the day, but at night they can be plainly
seen, and when the tug is 60 windward of
the Lighter the sparks are blown right over
the cotton and there is every probability
that they frequently fall on the bales and
begin their costly work. The bale which
burst into flames while it was being hoisted
on the Kate Fawcett had been towed down
on lighter, and while it cannot be said that
it caught from a spark from the tug there
is no other explanation TO be given of the
origin of the fire. Capt. Smith, however,
states that he will provide Jarpaulins and
cover the cotton while it is on the lighters,
and thus one danger will be averted, but